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Download communication plan in Microsoft Word format.
Impress Your Customers with a Written Project Communication Plan
Are you a project manager working on a project for an external customer of some kind? Have you given any thought to creating and including a project communication plan to show how you gathered and utilized your information? While delivering a communication plan is typically not required, most customers will greatly appreciate it when this small detail is put into writing. To help you with this, in this article we will introduce you to a 5-part template you can use, which basically highlights each of the high-level items that are typically included in one of these plans.
The 5-Part Project Communication Plan
While there is certainly no set rule on how a project communication plan should be structured, the following template will allow you to include the most pertinent information.
Part One: The Introduction
The introduction is really nothing more than a brief description of what the document will cover. Here is where you should also record the names of each of your team members, the company you work for, along with the customer or department for which the project is being developed.
Part Two: How Information Was Gathered and Stored
In part two of your document, the methods you employed in the gathering and storing of information should be identified, including both formal and informal communication. Generally, formal communication would include such items as periodic status meetings, delivery of information and data via weekly status reports and any formal lists discussing potential risks or issues. Less than formal communication would typically include any discussions via email, telephone or informal visits among team members.
Part Three: Communication Structure
This section of the document deals strictly with the formal communication involved in the project. Here you will outline the schedule of any formal communication that will or has taken place, including the type of communication (weekly meetings, status reporting, project schedule, etc.), the names and titles of the people who were involved and the dates and times for each of these communication sessions.
Part Four: Communication Matrix
While part three of the document is essentially a written outline of all formal communication, part four is more of a visual representation. Using charts, graphs and other visual aids you will create a matrix which includes, at minimum, the following:
- Category of each type of communication (meetings, status reports, etc.)
- The communication’s instigator
- The names and titles of those receiving the communication
- The frequency at which these communications took place
- The sources used in delivering the communication
Part Five: Conclusion
In this section you will need to provide a brief summary all of the communication involved in the project. This includes formal and informal communication, the source(s) of the information, the originator of the communication session, the names of those who received the information, and the dates those communications took place.
Developing a project communication plan that shows your customer(s) how information was gathered at each stage of the project, while certainly not necessary, shows both transparency and a commitment to detail—two traits that may just help your business grow and flourish in the future.